Zulkifli Hasan on the Import of Pick-up Trucks from India for the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives: It's Agrinas' Responsibility
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, has commented on the continuation of the plan to import pick-up trucks from India for the needs of the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives.
The minister, who is affectionately known as Zulhas, stated that the implementation of the program is the responsibility of PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara.
“That is Agrinas Pangan’s responsibility; you can ask them directly,” said Zulhas when met at the DPR RI building, Thursday (27/2/2026).
“The implementation is not under our purview, so please ask Agrinas Pangan directly,” he added.
Previously, it was reported that the Deputy Speaker of the DPR RI, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, requested that the government postpone the plan to import 105,000 pick-up trucks from India until further discussion with President Prabowo Subianto.
“The President will discuss the details of the import plan upon his return. He will also seek input and assess the preparedness of domestic companies,” said Dasco at the DPR RI building, Monday (23/2/2026).
PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara had previously stated that it was importing vehicles from India to support the operations of the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives.
The Director General of Agrinas Pangan Nusantara, Joao Angelo De Sousa Mota, said that the selection of products from India was based on the factor of more competitive prices and the limited domestic production capacity to meet the needs in a short time.
According to him, the price of 4x4 pick-up trucks in the domestic market is relatively high, while products from India can be obtained at almost half the price, making it more efficient for the use of state funds.
In addition, the national production capacity is considered insufficient for the procurement of up to 70,000 4x4 pick-up trucks within the targeted period without disrupting the distribution of vehicles for other needs.
The vehicles are planned to be used to support the distribution of commodities to areas with difficult terrain, including access to rice fields that require four-wheel drive vehicles.
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